Here at The Butcher & The Baker, the farm-to-table concept has always been a dream. So, in May of 2018, we bought a farm 60 miles from Telluride, and have been working tirelessly to restore it to bring our own home-grown produce directly to your table at the restaurant.
The 13-acre property came with a historic 1800s farmhouse, a 100-year old heirloom orchard, and five tons of junk. Over the past five years, we have built a greenhouse, a solar-powered wash barn, composted hundreds of cubic feet of kitchen scraps, we’ve planted veggies, picked bushels of apples, pears and apricots, designated the farm compound to the National List of Historic Places, and restored the long-neglected farm house and out buildings.
We have also expanded our farm staff to include a team led by Lucas Neher, who uses his horticulture experience and expertise to help facilitate our farm to table goals. We then bring it full-circle by composting our kitchen’s and our community’s food waste to fuel the fields! #farmtotableforreal
We have lots planned for the coming seasons, from farm-to-table dinners in the old orchard, to events like weddings and reunions on the historic farmstead. The future of the farm is exciting, and we can’t wait for you all to be a part of it. Stay tuned for more details, and check out our weekly produce on the “From the Farm” menu in the shop, and follow @thebutcherthebaker for fresh produce pics.
For the last few years, The Butcher & The Baker has been composting all of our food scraps from the restaurant directly into the soil at the Ossola Family Farm.
Here in Telluride, composting is difficult because of the bear activity in town. In 2019, we received a Telluride Green Grant to fund a locked & lifting trailer to bring not only our food waste, but that of our neighbors to the farm for composting. The trailer carries 3 cubic yards of food waste once a week – that’s a whole lot of composting!
Please join us in this composting movement! We only have a few rules…
No Meat. No Dairy. No Citrus. No Paper Products (even if they say they are compostable). Please remove all stickers and rubber bands. Make sure the trailer is latched & locked when you leave it!
Composting trailer can be found in the parking lot behind the restaurant.